Ice creeper



My nl, 1965 l E-IARDE l 3,182,407

I ICE CREEPER Filed June 2l, 1963 5 INVENTOR 7x/zer /Yardg ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,182,407 ICE CREEPER Elmer Harde, R.D. 2, Russell, Pa. Filed June Z1, 1963, Ser. No. 289,630

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-7.6)

This invention relates lto an ice Creeper. More specifically, the ice Creeper of my invention is extremely light in weight and inexpensive of manufacture, being formed entirely or principally of one or more lengths of spring wire.

By reason of the springiness of the wire and the shape in which the Wire is bent, the Creeper of my invention easily conforms itself to the underside of the shoe through a moderate range of sizes. In a more sophisticated version of my invention it may be made adjustable over a wider range of sizes.

The basic form of my invention is easily applied to and removed from the shoe, being naturally kept in position by its springiness. The preferred embodiment of my invention includes additional means for securing the device to the shoe.

The structure of my device is such that it may be worn inside the house, if it is inconvenient to remove it, without damage to oors and floor coverings. Further, the open structure of the device does not Cause the accumulation of packed snow on the underside of the shoe, so that no more snow is brought into the house by an individual wearing my ice Creepers than would be the Case if the articles were not worn.

For a fuller understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows the basic form of my invention, in plan view and to a somewhat reduced scale;

FIGURE 2 shows the preferred form of my invention in plan view and to a larger scale;

FIGURE 3 shows the device of FIGURE 2 in elevation;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view from the underside, of that portion of the device shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged partial section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is another enlarged partial section taken along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged elevational of a piece of wire, useful in an alternate construction; and

FIGURE 8 is a cross section taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE l of the drawing, my invention is shown as a single loop of wire dentated or bent in a generally zig-zag manner. The outwardly protruding teeth are bent upwardly as at 1t) to embrace the toe, at 12, to embrace the sides of the sole, at 14, to embrace the sides of the heel and at 16 to embrace the rear Iof the heel. The inwardly extending teeth lie in approximately a single plane at right angles to the upwardly extending teeth, those at 18 and 20 extend inwardly below the tread of .the sole and those at 22 extend under the heel. Intermediate teeth 24 and 26 extend outwardly approximately to the margin of the sole and heel respectively. The two portions indicated at 28 bridge the shank between the sole and heel.

It will be observed that, when the device is constructed of suitably resilient wire, that there is enough stretch between the respective arms of the various teeth to slip the device over a shoe, whereupon the wire will closely conform itself to the perimeter of the sole and heel of the shoe by reason of the resiliency of the entire structure. As a matter of fact, a single size of Creeper will fit a range of about ve sizes of shoes. Within reason, the number ice of dentations and their assortment is not critical. A suiiicient number extending upwardly to embrace the shoe is necessary and it is desirable to have an adequate number to give fair coverage to the underside of the shoe. It will be recognized that as the teeth become longer and as the two arms of each tooth become more nearly parallel, additional stretch becomes possible.

The preferred modification shown in FIGURES 2 to 6 includes a number of additional features provided to irnprove the performance of the device. The toe portion 10 is bent inwardly and over the toe of the shoe as shown at 30 and the heel portion 16 is rounded at 32 to conform to the heel of the shoe. Two V-shaped elements 34 and 36 are welded, brazed or otherwise secured to provide better coverage of the sole area. The element 34 is preferably secured to the two arms extending from 10 to 18 and the element 36 is secured to the arm extending between 20 and 24. A pair of straps 38, one of them bearing a buckle 40, are secured to the flattened arch portion 42 of the teeth 12. These straps are buckled across the toe of the shoe. A second pair of straps 43, secured in a manner to be pointed out below, may be buckled across the arch of the foot with a buckle not shown.

As shown with greatest particularity in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, the preferred embodiment includes an adjustable device for changing the length of the Creeper to it a variety of shoe sizes. Instead of the bridge wires 28, the sole portion of the Creeper terminates in a pair of rearwardly extending arms 44 and the heel portion terminates in a pair of arms 46, which at their forward ends are bent downwardly at right angles into a pair of points 48. A lower plate 50 is provided with a pair of channels 52 for receiving the rear arms 44. The arms are permanently secured to the plate as by welding. The plate has a pair of upwardly bent ears 54 with slots 56 for receiving the straps 43.

The plate 50 also has a pair of rows of holes 58 for receiving the points 48 of the forward extension 46. By the choice of appropriate pairs of holes 58, the length of the Creeper may be adjusted within a comparatively extended range. An upper plate 60 is secured to lower plate 52 by a pair of screws 62, thus locking the points 48 in the chosen pair of holes 58.

According to a modification, some or all of the wire making up the Creeper has a triangular cross section as shown at 64 in FIGURES 7 and 8. In addition, major portions of the tread of the Creeper will have the wire 64 notched at intervals indicated at 66. The wire is so arranged in the Creeper so that the notched edge comes in contact with the ground. Such construction is designed for wear upon particularly icy surfaces.

' It will be seen from the foregoing description that my ice Creepers are very light in weight so that they do not materially add to the awkwardness of the wearer; neither are they burdensome to Carry when not in use. An additional advantage is obtained because a single size of Creeper can be made to accommodate a Wide range of shoe sizes.

I claim:

1. An ice Creeper for grasping the sole and heel of a shoe, said Creeper formed of two continuous lengths of resilient wire, each bent in a generally zig-zag manner to surround the sole and heel of a shoe, respectively, a first portion of each wire forming tread portions for said Creeper, adapted to extend under the sole and heel of the shoe, a second portion of each wire extending upwardly, generally at right angles to the tread portion of said Creeper to grip the upper portion of a shoe, the ends of` each wire extending towards each other as pairs ofy e iii allel Wires and being bent at right angles, and a pair of References Cited by the Examiner f clamping plates each having a plurality of coincident slots UNITED STATES PATENTS therein selectively engaging said ends of `each wire to 818 520 p ermit adiustmentrof said Creeper to a plurality of shoe 1 0051676 13(1)? SyalrieII-t-gl 3366-76? SIZES. k 5 1 1 2. The article of claim l wherein at least a portion` 1g; efrset alof the wlre formlng said tread 1s of substantlallytrlangu- 3701240 2/45 Hau lar cross section positioned with the yapex of the triangle Y in Contact with the walking surface. 2450768 10/48 Pulver "T""',""Y" VS6- T6 3. Thearticle of claim 2 wherein portions'of'said apex 10 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Exlrlmne.

of said triangle are cut away to provide `a toothed edge. f FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner.v 

1. AN ICE CREEPER FOR GRASPING THE SOLE AND HEEL OF A SHOE, SAID CREEPER FORMED ON TWO CONTINUOUS LENGTHS OF RESILIENT WIRE, EACH BENT IN A GENERALLY ZIG-ZAG- MANNER TO SURROUND THE SOLE AND HEEL OF A SHOE, RESPECTIVELY, A FIRST PORTION OF EACH WIRE FORMING TREAD PORTIONS FOR SAID CREEPER, ADAPTED TO EXTEND UNDER THE SOLE AND HEEL OF THE SHOE, A SECOND PORTION OF EACH WIRE EXTENDING UPWARDLY, GENEALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE TREAD PORTION OF SAID CREEPER TO GRIP THE UPPER PORTION OF A SHOE, THE ENDS OF EACH WIRE EXENDING TOWARDS EACH OTHER AS PAIRS OF PARALLEL WIRES AND BEING BENT AT RIGHT ANGLES, AND A PAIR OF CLAMPING PLATES EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF COINCIDENT SLOTS THEREIN SELECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID ENDS OF EACH WIRE TO PERMIT ADJUSTMENT OF SAID CREEPER TO A PLURALITY OF SHOE SIZES. 